1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system, and in particular, to a computer implemented method for detecting intellectual property use. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for relating program code with intellectual property (IP) assets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Software applications and components thereof often are protected by intellectual property assets. For example, a software application may be protected by a dozen different patents, as well as copyrights, and trade secrets.
A user interested in using a software application that is protected by one or more IP assets has to license those IP assets before using the application. In many cases, the necessary licenses are packaged with the computer usable medium that includes the application, and the user need not do much more than simply use the medium to acquire the licenses.
In other cases, many licensing configurations may be associated with an application depending on the nature of the use of the application. For example, a corporation may procure an application with licenses for one hundred seats. Per seat licensing allows the licensed number of instances of the application to execute concurrently at the maximum. In some other instances, licensing can be restricted to specific data processing systems and number of processors.